Regeneration of an ionic liquid catalyst by hydrogenation using a macroporous noble metal catalyst

Abstract

Provided is a hydro-regeneration catalyst system, comprising: (a) a first graded bed comprising a guard bed material; and (b) a second graded bed, fluidly connected to the first graded bed, comprising a noble metal catalyst on a support having mesopores and macropores; wherein the noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of 20 to 1,000 nm (0.02 to 1 μm), a total pore volume of greater than 0.80 cc/g, and a macropore volume of 0.10 to 0.50 cc/g. Also provided is a guard bed system, comprising: (a) a first guard bed comprising a first adsorbent having 10 μm or larger pores with an average pore diameter of 100 to 1,000 μm; and (b) a second guard bed fluidly connected to the first guard bed, comprising a second adsorbent material having mesopores and macropores with a second average pore diameter of 20 to 1,000 nm.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A noble metal catalyst for hydro-regeneration of a deactivated ionic liquid catalyst containing conjunct polymer, wherein the noble metal catalyst comprises a Group VIII noble metal hydrogenation component on a support having mesopores and macropores;
 wherein the noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of 20 to 1,000 nm (0.02 to 1 μm), a total pore volume of greater than 0.8 cc/g, and a macropore volume of 0.10 to 0.50 cc/g; and 
 wherein the mesopores have a diameter from 10 to 20 nm and the macropores have a second diameter from greater than 100 to 5,000 nm. 
 
     
     
       2. The noble metal catalyst of  claim 1 , wherein the noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of from 25 to 800 nm (0.025 to 0.8 μm). 
     
     
       3. The noble metal catalyst of  claim 1 , wherein the noble metal catalyst has a total pore volume of from 0.85 to 1.5 cc/g. 
     
     
       4. The noble metal catalyst of  claim 1 , wherein the Group VIII noble metal hydrogenation component is selected from Pd, Pt, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       5. The noble metal catalyst of  claim 1 , wherein an amount of the Group VIII noble metal hydrogenation component is in a range from 0.05 to 2.5 wt. % of the total weight of noble metal catalyst. 
     
     
       6. The noble metal catalyst of  claim 1 , wherein the support is alumina. 
     
     
       7. A hydro-regeneration catalyst system, comprising:
 (a) a first graded bed comprising a guard bed material having 10 μm (10,000 nm) or larger pores with an average pore diameter of 100 to 1,000 μm (100,000 to 1,000,000 nm); 
 (b) a second graded bed, fluidly connected to the first graded bed, comprising a first noble metal catalyst comprising a first Group VIII noble metal hydrogenation component on a first support having mesopores and macropores; wherein the first noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of 20 to 1,000 nm (0.02 to 1 μm), a total pore volume of greater than 0.80 cc/g, and a macropore volume of 0.10 to 0.50 cc/g; and wherein the mesopores have a diameter from 10 to 20 nm and the macropores have a second diameter from 100 to 5,000 nm. 
 
     
     
       8. The hydro-regeneration catalyst system of  claim 7 , further comprising: (c) a third graded bed, fluidly connected and following the second graded bed, comprising a second noble metal catalyst comprising a second Group VIII noble metal hydrogenation component on a second support, the second support having mesopores; wherein the second noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of less than 20 nm (0.02 μm) and macropore volume less than 0.10 cc/g. 
     
     
       9. The hydro-regeneration catalyst system of  claim 7 , wherein the guard bed material is selected from one or more of carbon, silica, alumina, silica-alumina, ceramic, and resins. 
     
     
       10. The hydro-regeneration catalyst system of  claim 7 , wherein the guard bed material has an average pore diameter of 250 to 800 μm. 
     
     
       11. A process for hydro-regeneration of a deactivated ionic liquid catalyst containing conjunct polymer, the process comprising:
 (a) contacting the deactivated ionic liquid catalyst containing the conjunct polymer with a first noble metal catalyst under first hydrogenation conditions to form a first stream comprising conjunct polymer-depleted ionic liquid catalyst, wherein the noble metal catalyst comprises a first Group VIII noble metal hydrogenation component on a first support having mesopores and macropores; wherein the first noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of 20 to 1,000 nm (0.02 to 1 μm), a total pore volume of greater than 0.80 cc/g, and a macropore volume of 0.10 to 0.50 cc/g; and 
 (b) recovering conjunct polymer-depleted ionic liquid catalyst from the first stream. 
 
     
     
       12. A process for hydro-regeneration of a deactivated ionic liquid catalyst containing conjunct polymer, the process comprising the steps of:
 (a) contacting the deactivated ionic liquid catalyst containing the conjunct polymer with a first noble metal catalyst under first hydrogenation conditions to form a first stream comprising a conjunct polymer-depleted ionic liquid catalyst having a first conjunct polymer content, wherein the first noble metal catalyst comprises a first Group VIII noble metal hydrogenation component on a first support having mesopores and macropores; wherein the first noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of 20 to 1,000 nm (0.02 to 1 μm), a total pore volume of greater than 0.80 cc/g, and a macropore volume of 0.10 to 0.50 cc/g; 
 (b) contacting at least a portion of the first stream comprising conjunct polymer-depleted ionic liquid catalyst with a second noble metal catalyst under second hydrogenation conditions to form a second stream comprising a conjunct polymer-depleted ionic liquid catalyst having a second conjunct polymer content, wherein the second noble metal catalyst comprises a second Group VIII noble metal hydrogenation component on a second support having mesopores; wherein the second noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of less than 20 nm (0.02 μm); and 
 (c) recovering conjunct polymer-depleted ionic liquid catalyst from the second stream. 
 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 11  or  12 , further comprising contacting the deactivated ionic liquid catalyst containing conjunct polymer with a guard bed material having 10 μm (10,000 nm) or larger pores with an average pore diameter of 100 to 1,000 μm prior to step (a). 
     
     
       14. The process of  claim 11  or  12 , further comprising recycling the recovered conjunct polymer-depleted ionic liquid catalyst to a hydrocarbon conversion process. 
     
     
       15. The process of  claim 11  or  12 , wherein the first noble metal catalyst has an average pore diameter of from 25 to 800 nm (0.025 to 0.8 μm). 
     
     
       16. The process of  claim 11  or  12 , wherein the first noble metal catalyst has a total pore volume of from 0.85 to 1.5 cc/g. 
     
     
       17. The process of  claim 11 , wherein the first support is alumina. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 12 , wherein the first support, the second support, or both the first support and the second support is alumina. 
     
     
       19. The process of  claim 11  or  12 , wherein the deactivated ionic liquid catalyst is a chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst.